HI HR128

Hawaii House Resolution urges Maui County to adopt wildland-urban interface safety ordinances for plantation towns and high-risk communities following the devastating 2023 Maui wildfires that caused catastrophic loss of life, homes, and cultural resources in Lahaina.

Maui County should model ordinances after Kauai County's Ordinance No. PM-2025-425 (adopted September 8, 2025), which requires new and substantially remodeled buildings in wildland-urban interface areas to incorporate ember-resistant construction, noncombustible zones around structures, defensible space, and vegetation maintenance.

Recommended standards include ember-resistant and ignition-resistant construction, noncombustible areas adjacent to structures, defensible space and vegetation management requirements, wildfire risk mapping, and integration of wildfire mitigation into zoning, permitting, and community design review.

Historic plantation towns like Paia and Makawao face similar risks to Lahaina due to their built environment, road patterns, lot configurations, vegetation, topography, and exposure to wind-driven fire.

Certified copies of the resolution would be sent to the Governor, Maui County Mayor, Maui County Council Chair, and relevant county fire, emergency management, and planning officials.